peleabas

Peleabas is a traditional communal ceremony practiced by coastal communities of the fictional Pelean archipelago. It combines music, dance, and storytelling to mark the end of the maritime season and the harvest festival. The event lasts a night or several days, depending on locality.

The term peleabas derives from the local Pelean language, where pele means to gather and abas signifies songs or chants. The compound expresses the central purpose of the ritual: to gather people and sing.

The ceremony centers on a procession led by master drummers who perform on slit-drums and gourds. Dancers wear carved wooden masks and woven costumes. A central storyteller recounts ancestral myths, followed by improvised verses by youth singers. Community members contribute dishes for a communal feast.

It reinforces kinship lines, passes knowledge to younger generations, and records memory of sea conditions and weather patterns in songs. The ceremony also serves as a forum for dispute resolution and alliance-building during the festival period.

Variations exist among communities: some emphasize mask theater; others focus on choral singing or solo storytelling. The length ranges from a single evening to a multi-day rite.

Preservation efforts have grown in recent decades. Scholars and local councils have documented peleabas and supported weavers, musicians, and dancers to keep the tradition alive, sometimes adapting it for cultural tourism while aiming to maintain authenticity.